Improvement in corn-planters



A.,AITKEN. Corn-Planter.

No. 216,127. Patented June 3,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER AITKEN, OF NEWPORT TOWNSHIP, JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN co RN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,127, dated J unc 3, 1879 application filed April 4, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEX. AITKEN, of

Newport township, in the county of Johnson and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in corn-planters; and it consists in the arrangement and combination of parts that will be more fully described hereinafter, whereby the dropping of the corn at the beginning of each row is regulated. I

It further consists in the devices for operating the seed-slide.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Figs. 3, 4 are detail views.

a represents a rectangular frame, which is mounted on the two driving-wheels b c. The right-hand wheel 0 011 its inner side has a smaller wheel, (1, formed, and inside of this wheel (I is the flat round plate f, which revolves with the wheel, and has a numbered or lettered scale marked on its inner side. The wheel d has a flange projecting from its center, so as to divide its surface into two tracks, and thus keep the forward ends of the two weights 9 always separated. This wheel has the two recesses it cut in its surface on opposite sides, and into each one of these recesses, at each revolution of the wheel 0, drops the free heavy end of one of the weights g. These weights are pivoted upon an arm that projects outwardly from the standard j on the rear sill of the frame, which arm is raised high enough to let the weights drop freely into the recesses. Fastened to the forward ends of these two weights are the ropes or cords l, which pass up over suitable rollers 01., journaled in the rear end of the support m, which support is fastened on top of the standard 0. These ropes pass forward aroundthe rollers g on the front end of the support, and

are then fastened to the pivoted levers 12,

having the seed-slide fastened to their lower ends.

As the wheel 0 revolves the weights alternately drop into their respective recesses in the wheel (I, and thus alternately move the slide first in one direction and then the other. Springs may be used instead of weights.

Projecting downward from the support is a pointer, 1", which points to the numbers, let ters, or other signals 011 the plate f. These numbers or letters correspond to similar numbers or letters marked on the outer side of the rod 8 011 the furrow-opener t.

At each end of the field there ismade a straight line all the way across at right anglcs to the direction in which the planter is to move.

In starting the machine, the furrow-openers stand across these lines, and the numbers on the rod 8 denote the distance from the heel of the opener where the grains are to drop. The wheel 0 is then turned until the pointer points to a number 011 the platefcorresponding to the number on the rod that is over the line, and then the machine is ready to move.

In order to mark the place where the hill is made there may be a clip, 11, passed over the tire of the wheel, as shown, or there may be a place, a, cut out from each side.

At the heel of each furrow-opener is a clodclearer, g which pushes the clods to one side out of the way of the wheel.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In a corn-planter, the combination of the wheel 0, having an enlarged hub or wheel, (I, secured to its inside, and which wheel (I has the recesses h formed in opposite sides, with the two pivoted weights 9, having the cords or chains lfastened to their front ends, support on, pulleys n q, and levers 12, connected to the seed-slide, substantially as shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of March, 1879.

ALEXANDER AITKEN.

Witnesses: I

WM. J. HADDOGK S. H. HUNSTED. 

